U.S. patent application number 17/001310 was filed with the patent office on 2021-02-25 for performance athletic apparel.
The applicant listed for this patent is BUCK N' BASS, INC.. Invention is credited to Tyler Bradley Froese, James George.
Application Number | 20210052022 17/001310 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005049791 |
Filed Date | 2021-02-25 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20210052022 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
George; James ; et
al. |
February 25, 2021 |
PERFORMANCE ATHLETIC APPAREL
Abstract
Performance athletic apparel disclosed herein is designed to
help athletes during customized movements and activities for their
chosen sport. The disclosed apparel has a hood that is comfortable
to wear, stays in place during wear, and minimizes weather exposure
for the athlete. The hood further allows athletes to maintain a
wide field of view. To accomplish these functions, the hood
includes seams that flex along movement patterns specific to the
selected sport that allow the hood to move with the athlete's head
during movement and cinch cords that secure the hood in place on
the athlete's head and prevent water entry, such as from wet
weather conditions.
Inventors: |
George; James; (Winnemucca,
NV) ; Froese; Tyler Bradley; (Vancouver, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BUCK N' BASS, INC. |
Dover |
DE |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005049791 |
Appl. No.: |
17/001310 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62890942 |
Aug 23, 2019 |
|
|
|
62890948 |
Aug 23, 2019 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 3/005 20130101;
A41D 2200/20 20130101; A41D 1/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41D 3/00 20060101
A41D003/00; A41D 1/02 20060101 A41D001/02 |
Claims
1. An article of apparel, comprising: a main body portion; a hood
attached to the main body portion, the hood having a flexible seam
that extends along either or both of a vertical or horizontal axis,
the vertical or horizontal axis corresponding to a vertical or
horizontal head movement of a wearer when the article of apparel is
worn by the wearer.
2. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the main body portion
is a jacket.
3. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the main body portion
is a shirt.
4. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the hood has two
flexible seams that run along the vertical axis.
5. The article of apparel of claim 4, wherein the two flexible
seams run along the vertical axis from a location on the hood that
corresponds with the base of the back of the neck of the wearer
over a top of the head of the wearer to a forehead of the
wearer.
6. The article of apparel of claim 5, wherein the hood further
comprises a face opening and the two flexible seams run along the
vertical axis to a position that is a distance short of the edge of
the face opening.
7. The article of apparel of claim 4, wherein the two flexible
seams are parallel.
9. The article of apparel of claim 7, wherein the hood further
comprises a horizontal flexible seam that extends along the
horizontal axis.
10. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein the horizontal
flexible seam extends between the two flexible seams that run along
the vertical axis.
11. The article of apparel of claim 9, wherein the horizontal
flexible seam is positioned on the hood is a location that
corresponds to the base of the head of the wearer.
12. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the hood has two
flexible seams, a first flexible seam runs along the vertical axis
and a second flexible seam runs along the horizontal axis.
13. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the hood further
comprises a facemask that extends around a portion of a face of the
wearer.
14. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the hood further
comprises a shock cord that extends around a portion of the hood to
adjust a size of the hood at a location that corresponds to a neck
of the wearer.
15. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the hood further
comprises a shock cord that extends around a portion of the hood to
adjust a size of the hood at a location that corresponds to a back
of the head of the wearer.
16. The article of apparel of claim 1, wherein the hood further
comprises a face opening and a shock cord that extends around the
face opening.
17. The article of apparel of claim 16, wherein the face opening is
shaped to extend above a mouth of the wearer.
18. The article of apparel of claim 16, wherein the face opening is
shaped to extend below a chin of the wearer.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Nos. 62/890,948, filed Aug. 23, 2019 and 62/890,942,
filed Aug. 23, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference in
their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Aside from natural talent, hard work, and perseverance, the
equipment that athletes and enthusiasts use further allows them to
achieve peak performance. Among such equipment is the apparel
athletes wear. Athletic apparel provides athletes with numerous
advantages. For example, athletes that compete in winter sports
such as skiing and snowboarding may wear apparel made from
materials such as Gore-Tex, which is a waterproof and breathable
fabric. The waterproof feature of such a fabric prevents outside
moisture from penetrating the fabric and helps keep the athlete
warm and dry while the breathable feature allows for excess
moisture and humidity from the athlete to escape from the fabric in
order to keep the athlete comfortable. However, for some hybrid
performance fabrics such as Gore-Tex .degree., there is a tradeoff
between waterproofness and breathability to account for both needs
of the athlete. Such fabrics cannot be fully waterproof and fully
breathable at the same time. Instead, these fabrics try to balance
waterproofness and breathability. For these fabrics, more
waterproofness means less breathability and vice versa.
[0003] Further, performance athletic apparel is typically designed
with the activity or sport in mind, which leads to selections on
the fabrics based on overall athlete performance needs during the
activity. However, oftentimes, conventional performance athletic
apparel is designed by the cut or utility of its various features
to allow the athlete to comfortably and adequately move with the
apparel, especially in harsh weather conditions, such as rain and
cold weather, when materials are required to protect the athlete
from the elements. Specifically, anglers struggle to find
performance apparel that accounts for the activities unique to
their sport, such as driving a boat a high speed and handling
fishing during catch, presentation, and release or capture. Water
tends to soak into the anglers' jackets and other performance
apparel at locations like the athlete's hood and at the cuffs of
the arms.
[0004] The art could benefit from performance athletic apparel that
is designed for the athlete's athletic activity of choice and
provides protection against harsh weather conditions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate various view of an example jacket
according to aspects of the invention.
[0006] FIGS. 2A-2C show an example hood for the jacket illustrated
in FIGS. 1A-1D.
[0007] FIGS. 3A-3C show an example shirt with a hood according to
aspects of the invention.
[0008] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate example pockets on the jacket
shown in FIGS. 1A-1D.
[0009] FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate various views of example bibs
according to aspects of the invention.
[0010] FIG. 6 shows a portion of a pant leg of the example bibs
shown in FIGS. 5A-5C.
[0011] FIG. 7 shows an example shoulder strap securing element of
the bibs shown in FIGS. 5A-5C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Performance athletic apparel is disclosed herein that is
customized to an athlete's activities and protects the athlete from
harsh weather conditions, such as rain, moisture, and wind.
Specifically, the example apparel described is customized to
angling to allow anglers to move their heads freely while wearing a
hood, stay dry or prevent moisture or fluids from entering
vulnerable locations on the apparel, such as a hood, seams,
pockets, zippers, and the like. Specifically, the disclosed apparel
is designed to withstand high speeds that anglers face when
traveling on a boat and to protect anglers during low speed
activities like catching and handling their fish. The disclosure
discusses various examples of apparel including a jacket, a shirt,
and bibs, but the concepts disclosed herein can be extended to
other types of apparel. Although this disclosure makes reference to
athlete's wearing the described apparel, any athlete can also wear
the disclosed apparel for any reason, whether or not the athlete
considers himself or herself and athlete or is engaged in any
particular sport.
[0013] Conventional hybrid performance materials have
vulnerabilities. In the sport of fishing, the hoods for jackets,
shirts, and coats pose several problems for anglers. When driving a
fishing boat at high speeds, hoods are not secure and may be blown
off the angler's head and may flap around in the wind. In addition
to the hood fabric and components hitting the angler's face, such
flapping is noisy and may obstruct the angler's vision.
[0014] Still further, hoods are not designed effectively to move in
tandem with the head. The head rotates inside of the hood instead
of the hood moving with the athlete's head motion. As a result, the
vision of the athlete is compromised. Consequently, anglers need to
turn their whole body instead if they wants to maintain proper
vision. In the fishing industry, when driving a fishing boat at a
high speed, anglers having to turn their heads to look left or
right poses a danger because the anglers' vision straight ahead is
then compromised.
[0015] Also, in rainy, cold, or marine conditions, hybrid
performance materials such as Gore-Tex tend not to remain
waterproof, especially at certain vulnerable areas in the apparel
like a hood, at arm or leg cuffs, zippers, pockets, certain seam
lines, and at other strategic areas on the apparel where water
pools. Some particularly vulnerable areas along the seam lines
include the cuff, zippers, sewn seam lines, and breathable areas
(e.g., under the armpit). Some vulnerable areas on the apparel
where water tends to pool include the top of the shoulders and the
hood. Water is able to penetrate these areas and the fabric inside
the apparel can start to "wet-out," which means it starts to hold
water rather than repelling it from the surface. When apparel
"wets-out" it become heavier and loses its ability to further wick
water away from the athlete and allow air to escape. The heavier
apparel can place extra weight on the athlete, which can make the
athlete sore in certain areas, such as the back, knee, hip, and
shoulder joints. When the apparel can no long wick water away from
the athlete to allow air to escape, it is no longer breathable so
water and moisture is trapped in a microclimate between the apparel
and the athlete. Essentially, apparel that "wets-out" is simply is
uncomfortable for anglers and make them cold.
[0016] Such vulnerabilities of these hybrid performance materials
are more pronounced when they are used for sports such as fishing.
As mentioned above, one of the main areas of vulnerability is the
cuff. For example, when holding up a fish after it has been caught,
water from rain and splashing may run down the athlete's arm. For
another example, water passing from the fishing rod and reel to the
hand enters under the cuff, causing mid-layer sleeves under the
jacket to soak up and retain water. For yet another example, when
driving the fishing boat at speed in the rain, wind forces water
into any unprotected places, especially the hood because the
athlete uses it during high speed travel in a boat and the cuffs
because they are held up on the steering wheel.
[0017] Additionally, the pooling of water on a rain jacket, for
example, may reduce the waterproofness of the rain jacket. Certain
areas, such as the cuffs, zippers, seams lines, etc., are more
susceptible to water pooling than others. For example, water may
pool at the cuff and in areas where the cuff is vulnerable (e.g.,
buttons, Velcro flaps, zippers, etc.), water may leak into the
inside of the rain jacket. For another example, water may pool
along a zipper of the rain jacket and may leak through to the
inside of the rain jacket through the gaps between the teeth of the
zipper. For yet another example, water may pool at the seam lines
of a rain jacket and if the material of the seam is not waterproof
then water may leak through to the inside of the rain jacket
through the seam line.
[0018] The present invention solves at least some of the problems
mentioned above. The example performance athletic jacket described
herein helps keep water out of the jacket and from pooling on the
jacket, vents humidity from the athlete, and has a hood that does
not interfere with the athlete's head and vision all while not
impeding the range of motion of the athlete's arms. While a jacket
and a shirt are used to describe the inventions herein, the same
inventions could apply in other apparel, such as other designs of
jackets and shirts, base layers, full-body suits, pants, and the
like, and the ideas are not restricted in any way to a jacket or
shirt embodiment alone.
[0019] FIGS. 1A-1D show an example jacket 100 having a main body
portion 101 and a hood 132 made from waterproof fabric with
seam-taped construction. In one embodiment, the location of the
seam lines and the patterning are chosen based on the range of
motion for an angler, including, but not limited to casting,
reaching into the water, catching and facilitating release of a
fish, driving a boat, and the like. However, other embodiments are
envisioned (e.g., game hunting, military, etc.) in which the
location of seam lines and the patterning may be different and
customized to that respective athlete's activities. Overall, the
number of seam lines shown in the jacket 100 of FIGS. 1A-1D are
reduced compared to conventional rain or cold weather jackets.
Reducing the number of seam lines decreases failure areas (e.g.,
ripping of fabric at the seams, water leaking into seams, etc.),
extends the duration the athlete can wear the apparel in harsh
weather conditions, and increases the range of motion for the
athlete. Additionally, the seam lines are specifically moved away
from areas where known motion of the athlete causes functional
challenges (e.g., movement of the athlete's head when wearing the
hood) and where water would pool on the jacket to maximize
waterproofing by minimizing areas where water may leak into
seams.
[0020] The jacket 100 is designed to mitigate restrictions on the
range of motion for the athlete. This is achieved by minimizing
seam lines and the strategic placement of the existing seam lines
throughout the rain shell jacket. The front 102 of the jacket 100
has a shelf seam 104 shaped around the chest of the athlete. This
is important so that the jacket 104 has flexibility to twist when
the athlete turns his or her torso. Conventional rain jackets do
not have a shelf seam at the athlete's chest and therefore
minimally turn when the athlete turns his or her torso causing the
athlete to experience resistance from the jacket, which forces the
athlete to turn his or her legs or feet in order to achieve the
desired range of motion. The shelf seam 104 shaped around the chest
of the athlete allows the athlete a full range of vertical twisting
motion without resistance for the torso so that the athlete does
not have to turn his or her legs and feet.
[0021] The shoulders of the jacket have articulated back raglan
hybrid seams 106 located on the back of the rain shell jacket below
the top of the shoulder. Additionally, there are wrapping gussets
108 that run from the elbows and down the sides of the torso of the
athlete. The placement of the articulated raglan hybrid seams 106
and the wrapping gussets 108 allows the athlete to lift his or her
arms up, forward, and backwards without resistance from the rain
shell jacket. Like the chest seam across the back of the jacket,
these shoulder 106 and torso 108 seams allow the jacket to flex
along those seam lines to accommodate the athlete's movement. On
the other hand, when an athlete of a conventional rain jacket lifts
his or her arms up, forward, and backward, the rain jacket exhibits
resistance which makes the shoulders of the rain jacket bunch up
and pull the sleeves up to expose the athlete's wrist and arms to
the external environment and the bottom of the rain jacket lifts up
to exposing the athlete's belly area to the external environment.
Because the articulated raglan hybrid seams 106 and wrapping
gussets 108 eliminate resistance of the jacket 100 when moving the
arms up, forward, and backward, the wrists, arms, and torso of the
athlete stay covered by the jacket 100 and are not exposed to the
external environment. This is important for anglers since they work
in wet environments and want to keep their clothing and skin
underneath their jacket dry.
[0022] The elbows of the jacket 100 each have an inner elbow dart
seam 110 that causes the rain shell jacket to hug the athlete's
elbow and lower arm. As a result, when the athlete moves his or her
lower arm, there is no resistance from the jacket and the sleeve
does not move up or down at the athlete's wrist so none of the
athlete's clothing or skin under the jacket is exposed to the
external environment. However, the sleeves of conventional rain
jackets exhibit resistance when the athlete moves his or her lower
arm up or down causing the athlete's wrist to be exposed, which in
turn exposes the athlete's clothing, and skin that is underneath
the rain jacket to the external environment. Therefore, the inner
elbow dart seams of the rain shell jacket are another feature of
the rain shell jacket that keeps the athlete's clothing and skin
dry and unexposed to the external environment.
[0023] The hood of the jacket has two shortened seams 112 that each
run in parallel from the middle of the back of the neck to stopping
short of the forehead. Additionally, there is a seam 114 that
extends around the hood to wrap around the upper neck between each
cheek of the athlete. The combination of these seams 112, 114 flex
with the athlete when she or he turns her or his head side to side
and up and down to allow for a full range of motion (e.g., up,
down, left, and right) of the athlete's head while inside the hood
of the rain shell jacket. Hoods of conventional rain jackets do not
move with the athlete's head. Instead, the athlete's head moves
inside the hood while the hood stays still, causing the athlete's
peripheral vision to be cut off and forcing the athlete to turn his
or her torso if he or she wants to look to either side. When
driving boats, anglers need full use of their periphery vision. If
they are forced to turn their whole torso to look to either side,
the hood cuts them off from seeing what is directly in front of
them, which is very dangerous, especially at high speeds. The rain
shell jacket allows the athlete full use of their periphery vision
while looking straight ahead or to the side since the hood follows
the head when it moves.
[0024] Seam lines are the most common areas where rips and tears
occur on clothing. The resistance caused by the movement of the
head, torso, and arms in conventional rain jackets put added stress
at the seam lines, thereby increasing the likelihood of ripping and
tearing at these seam lines. By eliminating the resistance head,
torso, and arm movements have on the rain shell jacket, rips and
tears along the seam lines are greatly reduced.
[0025] The front of the rain shell jacket has a zippered entry 116
that includes a TIZIP MasterSeal 6 zipper that has a 3 PSI pressure
rating and is well above waterproofing standards.
[0026] The zipper is heavy duty with widened seam tap for full
security. The zipper is made of a durable, polyurethane-coated tape
and the durable plastic teeth of the zipper are attached to the
tape. The waterproof and pressure-resistant properties of the
zipper are achieved by using a sealing lip at the point of
interlocking. The zipper extends from the bottom of the rain shell
jacket up to the top of the hood's facemask 118. A face opening is
a void in the hood that extends around the athlete's face when the
jacket or other article of apparel is worn by the athlete. The
interior of the zipper has a storm flap that creates a barrier
between the face and the zipper pull. Additionally, the front 102
of the jacket 100 has a shelf seam 118 around the chest that
provides the athlete wearing the jacket 100 with a snug fit and
additional flexibility around the torso for the jacket to move with
the typical movement of the athlete.
[0027] The sleeves 120 of the jacket 100 are shorter than other
conventional rain jacket sleeves by approximately one inch although
this range could be more or less depending on the activity of the
athlete, the size of the athlete, and other design factors. Shorter
sleeves avoid sleeve material bunching at the wrist during certain
key movements like when the athlete reaches downwards over an
object, such as the athlete reaching over the side of a boat to
bring in a fish or grab a net, for example.
[0028] Strategic patterning and placement of seam lines in the arm
sleeves 120 of the jacket 100 are based on body movement data
collected through analysis of specific fishing movements in the
examples shown in FIGS. 1A-1D. Additionally, the strategic
patterning and placement of the seam lines prevent the sleeve from
riding up the arm during any of the angler's motions (e.g., casting
motion, reeling motion, reaching motion, steering motion, etc.).
For example, as described above, an inner elbow dart seam 110 wraps
around the elbow, a back elbow seam 122 builds back the arm shape,
and a wrapping gusset 124 allows free movement of the arm. The
combination of these seams 110, 122, 124 prevents the sleeve from
riding up the arm when the arm is extended away from the body.
[0029] Each arm sleeve 120 of the jacket 100 ends in a
double-layered cuff 125 consisting of an interior cuff 126 and
exterior cuff 128 that is shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The exterior
cuff 128 is made from fabric and can flip up to expose the interior
cuff and has hook and loop fastener flap 130 for adjusting the size
and tightness of the cuff. The interior cuff 126 is made from a
soft material, such as neoprene, with fabric on the face and rubber
on the back. It is designed to have a slim profile so that it hugs
the wrist, does not flap around in the wind or during movement of
the arm, and does not allow water to leak underneath it. It also
includes a 2 cm waterproof ripstop to prevent ripping of the inner
cuff 126. In this example, the ripstop is nylon, but it could
alternatively be cotton and polyester if desired.
[0030] A ripstop is a woven fabric that uses a special reinforcing
woven structure that makes it resistant to abrasion and tearing.
During weaving, reinforcement threads are interwoven at regular
intervals in a crosshatch pattern to create the ripstop. The
intervals are typically 3 to 8 millimeters. Most conventional rain
jackets do not have ripstops and are vulnerable to tears and holes
created by tension. The ripstop for the jacket described in the
present disclosure is accomplished by sandwiching the self-flap in
the seam of the ripstop and then using seam tape on the inside of
the seam. The corner of the tape is then pushed down out of the
junction of the seam. The interior cuff 126 extends further than
the exterior cuff 128 and has a neoprene closure for a complete
waterproof seal even when submerged in water. Conventional rain
jackets have cuffs that do not use the same neoprene and are not
tight enough to achieve the waterproof seal as the jacket 100
described in the present disclosure.
[0031] The hood 132 for the example jacket 100 is designed to
prevent interference to the athlete's head and vision. The hood 132
is a low profile, ergonomic hood that has the ability to stabilize
and prevent water intrusion at 75 MPH speeds. The fabric hood 132
has been uniquely cut in a way that allows for full peripheral
vision while covering more of the face to prevent water from
intruding. It is cut so that the entire head of a range of select
sized athletes (e.g., a range of average known athletes of a
particular clothing size) is covered except for the area around the
nose and eyes not being covered by the hood. Instead of the head
moving inside of the hood while the hood stays stationary, which is
the case for conventional hoods, the hood 132 of the jacket 100
described in the present disclosure is designed to move with the
head. This is accomplished by creating a tight fit for the hood 132
by having seams 112, 114 wrapping around the neck of the hood 132
to flex when the athletes twist their heads and use shock cords
134, 136 that go around the face and head of the athlete when
wearing the hood. By adjusting the shock cords 134, 136, the
athlete is able to achieve the tight fit of the hood 132 that flex
in the typical rotational movements in a horizontal and vertical
plane.
[0032] The front of the hood 132 has a facemask 118 that is raised
for improved water protection and wind resistance. Conventional
hoods on rain jackets either do not have a facemask portion or they
have a small facemask that only covers the athlete's chin. The
jacket 100 described in the present disclosure covers the athlete's
face all the way up to the nose so that the athlete's mouth and
lips are covered by the facemask 118. There are adjustable shock
cords 134 that go around the front of the top of the head down to
each side of the chin within 0.5 inch shock cord tunnels. The shock
cord exits to the exterior of the jacket through a bartacked
channel at the bottom of each side of the chin. At each exit point,
the shock cord goes through a plastic stabilizer so that the
athlete can quickly and efficiently adjust the tightness of the
hood around the face. The top of the hood above the forehead has a
plastic brim stabilizer that accommodates a hat if the athlete
choses to wear a hat when also wearing the hood. The stabilizer
also keeps the front edge of the hood from blocking the athlete's
eyes and holds the front edge of the hood out in front of the
athlete's face in order to give some covered protection from rain
to the athlete.
[0033] The back of the hood 132 has an adjustable shock cord 136
goes through 40 mm bonded channels from the front of the top of the
head around to the back of the head where the head and neck meet.
The shock cord 136 exits in the middle of the back of the hood 132.
The shock cord 136 goes through a plastic stabilizer at the exit
point so that the athlete can quickly and efficiently adjust the
tightness of the hood 132 around the athlete's head. There is a
bonded overlap to cover the exit point of the shock cord 136 so
water is prevented from entering the exit point.
[0034] The jacket 100 has enlarged pockets 138 on each side at the
hips of the athlete. These pockets 138 are patterned to have an
overlap to protect the zipper from rain. The pockets 138 are also
angled to help reduce the likelihood that water will pool near the
pockets 138. Enlarged pockets 138 reduce the number of seams and
possible failure points and also give the athlete room to store
objects, such as gear and tools. Each enlarged pocket 138 has a
waterproof zipper 140 with a laminated overlap for directional
waterproofing, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The zipper 140 is
offset from the fold line of the pocket flap. One side of the
zipper 140 has an extended piece of fabric that folds inside the
zipper when the zipper is closed. When the zipper is closed, a flap
folds over the zipper. The inside 142 of the enlarged pockets are
lined with microfiber or other material for insulation to retain
heat so an athlete can warm his or her hands while the hands are
inside the enlarged pocket. At least one, and in some examples
both, of the enlarged pockets also contains an additional interior
raised media pocket 144 for elevated electronic or other select
object protection. The media pocket 144 is glued or otherwise
releasably or permanently secured into the enlarged pocket 138 and
has a zipper entry 146 that is inside the enlarged pocket 138.
[0035] The back of the jacket 100 has a waterproof rear cape 148
vent that moves with the athlete's motion to pump heat and humidity
out of the microclimate between the athlete's body and the jacket
100. The cape vent 148 also increases the range of motion across
the athlete's back area. Conventional rain jackets rely on porous
structures of a waterproof, breathable fabric for it primary form
of breathability and do not include a mechanical venting system
such as described herein. However, porous structures in fabric
sacrifice waterproofness since they are susceptible to water
leaking from the exterior of the rain jacket to the interior of the
rain jacket. By using a rear downward facing cape vent 148, the
jacket 100 described in the present disclosure does not sacrifice
any waterproofness.
[0036] The hydrophobic mesh is breathable to vent 148 heat and
moisture from the athlete of the rain shell jacket out of the cape
vent. However, even though the mesh is made of material that repels
water, it is a mesh so some water may penetrate through the holes
of the mesh if it is saturated with water. In order to prevent
this, the waterproof rear cape vent 148 covers the hydrophobic mesh
so water cannot touch the hydrophobic mesh. Instead, water will
just drip downwards and off the rear cape vent 148. As described
above, conventional rain jackets try to balance waterproofness and
breathability. While these rain jackets may be made from waterproof
materials, the areas that are made of a mesh material for
breathability are susceptible to water leaking into the jacket.
Therefore, these rain jackets are not completely waterproof. By
using a rear cape vent 148 on top of the hydrophobic mesh, the rain
shell jacket described in this disclosure is both completely
waterproof and completely breathable. That is, instead of relying
on the fabric's breathability like most conventional performance
apparel, this disclosure adds in construction level breathability
in a mechanical venting system.
[0037] As described above, around each shoulder on the back of the
jacket 100 are seams 106 that are shifted to the back of the jacket
100 to avoid direct water impact to maximize waterproofness.
Additionally, because these seams 106 are on the back of the jacket
100, water does not pool on these seams because most athletes face
the direction from which the rain or moisture is coming. Further,
at the top of the inside of the back of the jacket 100 there is a
locker loop that is made of 6 mm light nylon webbing, placed in
seam, and bartacked at seam points.
[0038] A shock cord (not shown) goes around the bottom of the
jacket 100 and has exit points on each side of the jacket 100. The
shock cord goes through a plastic stabilizer at each exit point so
the athlete can adjust the tightness of the bottom of the jacket
100 to create a snug fit and prevent any water from entering the
inside of the jacket 100 at the bottom of the jacket 100.
[0039] An alternative embodiment of the disclosure in shown in
FIGS. 3A-3C. This shirt 300 has a hood with a pair of parallel,
vertical seams 304 that run from the location on the hood 302 that
aligns approximately the with base of the athlete's head during
wear and a neck and face seam 306 that extends along the base of
the back of the athlete's neck at an angle up to each respective
ear of the athlete and then along the upper edge of the hood along
the athlete's forehead. These seams 302, 304 flex along a typical
vertical and horizontal rotation of the athlete's head when the
hood is worn. Similar to the jacket described above, the shirt
example shown in FIGS. 3A-3C have shoulder seams 308, elbow gussets
310, and a torso seam 312 that all flex along the typical motion
for an angler. The shirt also includes a pair of chest seams 314
that extend from the athlete's neck down the front of the athlete's
chest to provide flexion for the shirt sleeves during the athlete's
typical movement.
[0040] Embodiments of the disclosed bibs are shown in FIGS. 5A-5C.
The bibs 500 are typically worn by anglers in an overall fashion
during fishing for similar reasons that the jacket is worn, which
is to prevent rain, other moisture or fluids, and cold from
affecting the angler during use. As with the jacket embodiment
discussed above, the disclosed bibs can be worn for any reason by
any wearer. The example described herein are discussed in relation
to an athlete wearing them for angling but the disclosure is not
limited to this use.
[0041] The rain shell bibs 500 are made from waterproof fabric with
seam-taped construction. In one embodiment, the location of seam
lines and the patterning were chosen based on the range of motion
for an angler. However, other embodiments are envisioned (e.g.,
game hunting, military, etc.) in which the location of seam lines
and the patterning may be different. Overall, the number of seam
lines are reduced compared to conventional fishing bib pants.
Reducing the number of seam lines decreases failure areas (e.g.,
ripping of fabric at the seams, water leaking into seams, etc.).
Additionally, the seam lines are moved away from areas where water
would pool on the rain shell bib pant to minimize areas where water
may leak into seams.
[0042] The bibs 500 are designed so that there are no restrictions
on the range of motion of the wearer. This is achieved by
minimizing seam lines and the strategic placing of the existing
seam lines throughout the bibs 500. Conventional bib pants can move
off center when the athlete moves his or her legs and can bunch up
when sitting and standing. In order to prevent this, the back of
the bibs 500 has a seam 502 that goes from the top of the center of
the buttocks to the groin of the athlete and an elastic band 504
that goes around the back of the athlete at the hips. This seam 502
and elastic band 504 keep the bibs 500 centered when the athlete is
moving his or her legs and bending down. It also prevents the bibs
500 from moving up or down on the athlete when sitting or
standing.
[0043] The groin and inner thigh area of the bibs 500 have a gusset
506 that goes from one inner thigh up to the groin and down to the
other inner thigh. This gusset 506 provides extra space in the
inner thigh and groin region of the bibs 500, which allows the
athlete to spread and move his or her legs without any resistance
or riding up of the bibs' pant legs. Conventional bib pants do not
have this extra space in the inner thigh and groin region, which
makes the pant legs susceptible to riding up the athlete's legs
when he or she spreads and moves his or her legs, which may expose
the athlete's clothing and skin that is underneath the pant legs to
the external environment.
[0044] The pant legs of the bibs 500 each have a knee dart seam 508
and seams 510 at the back of each of the calf muscles. The knee
dart seams 508 have a clean fit around each knee to accommodate
resistance-free knee movement and the seams 510 at the back of each
calf muscle wrap around each calf muscle to provide a snug fit for
the lower leg of the bibs 500. The pant legs of conventional bib
pants ride up the athlete's legs when she or he bends her or his
knees, which exposes clothing or skin that is underneath the bibs
to the external environment. However, because of the knee dart
seams 508 and the seams 510 at the back of each calf muscle, the
pant legs of the disclosed bibs 500 stay in one place and do not
ride up the athlete's legs or expose any of the athlete's clothing
or skin that is underneath the bibs.
[0045] As with the seams in the jacket and shirt examples discussed
above, the seam lines of the bibs 500 are the most common areas
that rip and tear. The resistance caused by the movement of the
upper legs at the hip, the lower legs at the knee, and the waist
when reaching down in conventional bib pants legs put added stress
at the seam lines, thereby increasing the likelihood of ripping and
tearing at these seam lines. By eliminating the resistance upper
leg, lower leg, and waist movements have on the bib pant, rips and
tears along the seams lines are greatly reduced.
[0046] The front of the rain shell bib pant has a zipper 512 in the
center that extends down to the wearer's groin area. The zipper 512
for the bibs 500 is a TIZIP MasterSeal 6 zipper that has a 3 PSI
pressure rating and is certified for space suits to prevent the
vacuum of space from sucking out the air inside the space suit. The
zipper 512 is heavy duty with widened seam tap for full security.
The zipper 512 is made of a durable, polyurethane-coated tape and
the durable plastic teeth of the zipper are attached to the tape.
The waterproof and pressure-resistant properties of the zipper 512
are achieved by using a sealing lip at the point of
interlocking.
[0047] The bibs 500 have elastic 38 mm elastic shoulder straps.
These straps 514 allow for equal distribution of weight on the
shoulders. Each strap 514 has an easy release securing element 516,
such as a magnetic Fidlock buckle that is rated to carry 70 kg and
allow the user to quickly and efficiently detach, adjust, and
re-attach each shoulder strap 514. Additionally, each shoulder
strap 514 may be detached with one hand. Conventional bib pants
have shoulder straps that are not magnetic buckles which requires
the wearer to use both hands (i.e., one hand on each part of the
buckle) in order to buckle the strap around his or her shoulder.
Further, each strap 514 may be adjusted by a 38 mm elastic
adjuster. Underneath the shoulder straps 514 at the chest of the
athlete wearing the bibs 500, there are interior pockets 518 on
each side. These pockets 518 are lined with microfiber or other
material with thermal properties that can help the pockets serve as
hand warmers for the wearer.
[0048] As described above, each pant leg of the bibs 500 has a knee
dart seam 508 that creates a clean fit to accommodate knee movement
and there is a center groin gusset 506 that adds free-range
movement. Otherwise, there are minimal seams in the groin area to
allow for flexion of the bibs 500 and to prevent pooling of water.
The side seam 518 for each pant leg has an overlap to protect from
vertical and directional water flow and there are seams 520 on each
pant leg that wrap around the back calf muscles. Further, in order
to avoid seam failure, there are minimal seam lines on the bibs 500
where the athlete's buttocks would be.
[0049] A full leg waterproof zipper 522 runs down the side from the
hip to the bottom of each pant leg of the bibs 500, a portion of
which is shown in FIG. 6. This allows for the athlete to unzip the
zipper 522 as far up the leg to the hip as necessary to easily
place her or his leg into the pant legs of the bibs 500 without
taking off boots, gear, or sitting down. These zippers also prevent
the bibs 500 from butterflying open when taking the pants on and
off. Conventional bib pants require the wearer to remove his or her
boots prior to putting on or taking off the bibs. The zippers have
been designed into each pant leg so that they do not get caught on
the fabric and can be used with only one hand. Each zipper has a
directional flap to direct water away from the zipper.
[0050] The bottom of each pant leg of the bibs 500 has a security
cuff 524 that has a 38 mm Velcro strap that is sewn into the fabric
and is used to adjust the tightness of the pant leg cuff around the
wearer's ankle and cover the zipper 522 that runs down the side of
each pant leg. This helps to keep water from soaking up through the
user's skin and midlayer pants that are typically worn underneath
the bibs 500.
[0051] Around the waist of the rain shell bib pant is an elastic
waistband 504. The waistband 504 is concealed in a laminated,
waterproof 38 inch channel that has been shrunk by 15% for a clean
fit without compromising waterproofing. The waistband 504 hugs the
lower back and rests on the top of the hips. It expands and
retracts as the wearer of the bibs 500 moves, which allows the bibs
500 to distribute its weight proportionately throughout the
athlete's body instead of concentrating the weight load of the bibs
500 on the athlete's back and adding pressure from the shoulder
straps 514 on the athlete's shoulders.
[0052] The bibs 500 have watertight thigh pockets 526 with
additional laminated angled storm flaps for a fully waterproof
construction, which are shown in FIG. 7. The flaps are move freely
at each side to make it easier to move when putting hands in and
out of pocket. Instead, the top of the each flap is secured to the
seam line. The flaps prevent water from pooling on the pocket
zipper, since in conventional bib pants the zipper can act as a dam
to pool water. Additionally, the flaps guard against water entry
through the zipper. The top of the pocket is laminated and taped to
the inside of the flap. The zipper is a bonded laminated reverse
coil zipper placed 5 mm above the edge of the bottom of the flap.
The bottom of the pocket ends in a flap to allow for a bigger
pocket so a full hand can go in and out easily.
[0053] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the
following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their
specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed
function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed
result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of
such features, be used for realizing the invention in diverse forms
thereof.
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